1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an instrument for handling a joint component of a joint prosthesis, which joint component includes a joint surface, the instrument having a grip portion, a suction element, in the form of a suction cup with an air-vent opening, placeable in a sealing manner against the joint surface, and a pressure-relief valve associated with the air-vent opening of the suction cup.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such an instrument is known, for example, from DE 101 28 234 A1. However, the instrument disclosed in DE 101 28 234 has a relatively unwieldy mechanism for breaking the partial vacuum in the suction space defined between the joint component surface and the suction cup, the partial vacuum being required in this construction for setting or removing the joint component. Significantly, during handling of the known instrument there is a risk that the partial vacuum in the said suction space will be broken unintentionally, resulting in the disengagement of the joint component from the instrument at an undesirable moment. The reason for this is primarily that the actuating element for the pressure-relief valve projects rearwards axially beyond the grip surface, that is to say in the direction towards the user. Accordingly it cannot be ruled out that the user, when taking hold of the instrument, will inadvertently touch and, undesirably, actuate the actuating element for the pressure-relief valve.
Moreover, with the instrument described above reliable actuation is possible only when using two hands.
A similar situation applies to the setting device according to DE 197 22 923 A1. In that specification too, two-handed operation is mandatory.